Bubble-blowing toys



lUnited States Patent O ce 2,842,894 BUBBLE-BLOWING TOYS` Henry W.Walden, New York, N. Y.

Application February 7,1957, Serial No. 638,842

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-8) This invention relates to bubble-blowing toys, andhas particular reference to a toy of this kind which will produce one ormore bubbles in a stream, with the bubbles being of regulated size, in amanner to interest and amuse children.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a toy of this character bymeans of which a ring-shaped carrier for the bubble-producing fluid isimmersed in a supply of such fluid contained in a reservoir; the carrieris thus charged with the uid by such immersion; is elevated out of thefluid to become by such elevating movement axially aligned with an Yairblast nozzle suitably connected to blast-creating means, by which theair'will be forced from the nozzle against the fluid-charged ring tocause bubbles to be thus formed and forced away from the ring in astream.

it is an object of the invention to provide in a device of the characterabove described, means by which the air nozzle may be adjustablypositioned with respect to the ring whereby the size of the bubblesejected by the air blast will be regulated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thischaracter which can be removably fitted on top of a bottle, jar orsimilar container in which the bubble-producing material is contained,thereby permitting the bubble-forming means to be easily andconveniently applied to and used upon the container in which thebubble-producing fluid is purchased.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein illustrative embodiments of theinvention are disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a bubbleblowing toyconstructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the a1- rows;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the main portion of the toy;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the carrier ring;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig.4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6inclusive, 1 indicatesthe body of the toy. In the form shown, the sameis generally of cylindrical tubular shape and it may be made in variousways to simulate exaggeratedly or otherwise, persons, animals or otherobjects. The upper end of the body or casing 1 is closed in any suitablemanner, such as by the cap 2, and the body of the device may be made ofany suitable material, such as plastic, wood, metal or pressed paper.

Located on the interior of the casing or body V1 are guide membersindicated respectively at 3 and .4 and slidably and vertically guidedtherein is the stem 5 of the carrier or delivery device for thebubble-producing fluid. The carrier consists of a ring or annulus 6formed in- 2,842,894 Patented .July 15, A1958 tegrally with, orotherwise attached to the stem 5. The stem 5 is of square or at leastnon-round cross-sectional shape so that while the ring 6 and itsattached stern are movable up and down they are non-rotative.

At its lower end, the body or casing 1 is provided with a cap portion 22which is internally threaded for reception on the threads 23 formed onthe neck of a bottle or jar 24 containing the bubble-producing uid 25.This Afluid is a commercial product readily available in the openmarket.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the carrier or ringmember 5, 6 is moved downwardly, the ring 6 will enter the bottle 24 andbecome immersed in the bubble-producing fluid 25 and thus receive acharge of the fluid which, upon the elevating movement of the ring willbe carried upwardly to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. l inthe form of a film spread across the opening that extends through thering.

The carrier is caused to descend by manual pressure imposed on a buttonor knob 12 secured at the end of apin 10 fixed to and extendinglaterally from the stem 5, the knob or button 12 being located on theoutside of the body or casing 1. The pin 10 is guided in a lengthy slot11 formed in the side wall of the body or casing 1. For the retractionor elevating movement of the carrier 5, 6, a coil spring 7 is employed,the same havingone end attached to an eye 9 extending from the stem 5,and its other end secured to an eye 8 extending from the guide 3. Thisarrangement is such that when the carrier is moved down by manualpressure imposed on the knob 12 the loop 6 thereon will descend into theliquid 25 and become charged therewith. Upon release of manual pressureon the knob 12, the spring 7 will cause the rise of the carrier to theposition shown in Fig. 1 and the loop or ring 6, carrying a film of thebubble-producing fluid across it, will then be located in registry withan outlet aperture 20 formed in the side Wall of the body or casing 1.Opposite the aperture 20 is a laterally-projecting sleeve 13 having apassage or bore 30, within which is located a slidable plug or piston15, terminating at its forward end in a nozzle 16. Formed through theplug or piston 15 and through the nozzle is an air passage 17, whichcommunicates with the axial passage extending through a tube 14 fixed tothe rear end of the plug or piston 15. The tube 14 is attached to andcommunicates with the interior of a compressible air bulb 21.

From the foregoing, the operation of the described structure will bereadily understood. With the parts of the device in the position shownin Fig. 1, the knob or button 12 is depressed, this action causing thecarrier to move downwardly to have its loop 6 brought down and dippedinto the bubble-producing liquid 25 to become immersed therein. Uponrelease of manual pressure on the knob or button 12, the spring 7 willcause the carrier to rise to bring its ring 6, now carrying a lm of thebubble-producing uid extending across its opening 18, into alignmentwith the nozzle 16 as well as in registration with the outlet aperture20. The ring 6 is now halted at this position by pin 10 reaching theupper end 'of slot 11, and when the air bulb 21 is manually comtowardand away from the carrier 6 by the sliding movement of the tube 14through the guide member 13, the diameter of the produced bubbles can beregulated. That is to say, the closer the nozzleis brought toward thering-6, the larger will be the bubbles. Positioning the nozzle `fartheraway from `thecarrier will result in the ejection of smallerbubb'les'.

,Having therefore described a single embodiment of the invention,`it isobvious that the same is not to'be restricted thereto, but lis broadenough to cover all structures coming within the scopelo'f the annexedclaims.

VWhat I claim is:

l. A bubble-blowing toy comprising, a container Vfor holding abubble-producing liquid, the container being provided at the top withthreads, a tubular body closed at one end and open at thefother end andthreaded at its open end for application on the threaded end of thecontainer to form a continuation thereof and to establish communicationwith the interior of the container, a ring located in the'body andprovided with a stern slidable axially through the body to thereby movethe ring into and-out of the fluid contents of the container, the wallof the .body having a slot, the stem having a lateral extensionprotruding through the slot and slidably guided up and down therein,said lateral extension provided with a finger-piece located on theoutside of the body for manual depression of the ring and to cause it tobe dipped into the liquid contents of the container, spring means forelevating the ring to raised position out of the liquid, the body havinga bubble-outlet opening in its side wall with which the ring registerswhen the ring is in its raised position, the body having alaterally-extending sleeve on a side wall of the body opposite and inalignment with the bubble-outlet opening, an air-blast nozzle slidablyadjustable through the sleeve to regulate its spacing from the ring, anair tube connected to said adjustable nozzle vand an-air bulb attachedto the end of the tube on the outside of the body.

2. A bubble-blowing toy as provided for in claim l wherein the open endofthe body in which the threads are formed is in the form of a closurecap for the container and is attached to the container in place of theconventional closure cap removed therefrom, the air blast nozzle beingattached to a piston, the sleeve having an internal passage in which thepiston is stify slidable to thereby enable the piston and the nozzlecarried thereby to be positioned at selected distances from the ring.

3. A bubble-blowing toy comprising, a container for holding .a-bubble-producing liquid, said container having a threaded top, acylindrical body having an internally-threaded skirt 'atone endthreadably received on the threaded end of the container, the bodyforming an axial cyindrical extension of the container, a ring axiallyslidable through the body to enter the container and become charged withthe liquid therein, an extension from the ring projecting rexternally ofthe body for finger engagement to force thering into the container,means for re- 'tracting the ring to a position outside of the containerand to a position within the body, the body having an Vaperture in itsside wall and vwith which the ring becomes lregistered when the ring isin lits retracted position within the body, a guide sleeve on the bodyaligned with the aperture therein, an air nozzle in said guide sleeve,and a manually-compressible 'air bulb attached to the nozzle on theoutside 'of the body.

References Cited in the -fllc of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS534,277 Montgomery et al. Feb. 19, 1895 2,393,039 Gilchrist Ian. 15,1946 2,560,582 Limbe'r July 17, 1951 2,587,536 Scott Feb. 26, 19522,599,888 Beezle'y et a1. June 10, 1952 2,700,845 Arlis's Feb. 1. 1955

